The Last Time Lady
by Ava Drake
Summary: The Doctor has been alone in the universe, ever since the Time War. But what if he wasn't alone...he just forgot?
1. The Last Time Lady

**What if the Doctor wasn't as alone as he thought?  
>Authors Note: The villain in this chapter is really non-essential, so I didn't bother giving him a name, species or even mention what his plan was. <strong>

The Doctor looked at his new opponent. A new enemy. He gave him a cheesy grin as this new mastermind explained his plan.  
>"That's very clever. Very <em>very <em>clever. Brilliant in fact. Oh." He said, then paused. "But that would be bad. Brilliant, but bad."  
>The man frowned at him. "You are very annoying."<br>The Doctor grinned. "I get that a lot."  
>"That's because it's true." Amy said behind him. The Doctor looked at her. He had almost forgotten her. Amy and Rory sat on two chairs, back to back, tied up in rope.<br>"What do you mean? I'm not annoying. I'm helpful and appreciative… and cool."  
>She scoffed. "Helpful? You know what would be helpful? <em>Saving us!<em>"  
>"Oh…right." The Doctor said, reminding himself of their impending doom. "Yes, I'll get right on…that." He stopped as the man pulled out a weapon. "Oh, a gun. Not good. Yes, definitely not in the category of 'good'. In fact I would go so far to say that it was in fact-"<br>"Shut up," the man growled.  
>"Okay, shutting up now." He said, then mimed zipping up his lips.<br>"Finally." The man said. "Now, you seem to be a man of science, _Doctor. _See this is a very special gun," he said patronisingly, as if the Doctor was just a child, instead of the millennia old Time Lord. To be fair, he didn't know that last bit. "It's a distinct design. Mixed with several _very _advanced technologies. They called it the Transdimension Laser."  
>"Ooh, good name!" The Doctor applauded.<br>The man narrowed his eyes. "Well we've never tested it on a live subject before, but we tested it on some other things, and they literally disintegrated."  
>"Ah, there's that 'not good' bit coming into it again."<br>"Exactly! Because I'm sorry, Doctor, but I do have places to be, worlds to destroy, you know." And he pulled the trigger. The Doctor shut his eyes. But the beam never made contact. First it seemed that it had hit an invisible wall, but then the wall solidified to reveal itself to be a young woman with pale skin and raven hair. She had her arms flung out, protecting the Doctor, shielding him. The beam stopped, and she fell to the floor in a crouch.  
>"What is the meaning of this?" The man demanded. "Who are you?"<br>She frowned at him. "Wait, you…you can see me?"  
>"Of course I can see you! Now who are you?"<br>She grinned at him with an evil glint in her eyes. "Your worst nightmare." She said, the pounced on him, knocking away the gun. She hit him over the back, hitting him into unconsciousness. There was a silence. The woman walked over to the gun, and pulled it apart.  
>"Ahh, there's your problem. You crossed these wires here. I bet if we took a look, those objects he mentioned weren't 'disintegrated', only put into a different dimension…Hence Transdimensional Laser. Honestly, you'd think that you'd pay attention to the name. It often has some clues. A toaster toasts bread. A Transdimensional Laser sends things into a different dimension… or in this case takes things out."<br>"Umm, excuse me." Rory said. "But uh, who are you?"  
>She turned to him with a grin. "My name is Safiavauzura. But you can call me Guardian, or Protector, or Ava… or Fred. Well not Fred. Romana's Fred." She laughed. Then froze. "You…you can see me. Rory…you can see me."<br>"Yeah so can I. Now can you let us out?" Amy cut in, annoyed.  
>Ava paused, then nodded. She sped over to them, quicker than they could see. In one quick action, she drew a dagger from her boot and had sliced the rope between them. Then she took a few slow steps back. The Pond's stood up.<br>"Right. Now that's done, who are you?" Amy asked.  
>"I told you. My name is Safiavauzura. I'm the last Time Lady in existence."<p> 


	2. Doubt, Distrust and Suspicion

"What do you mean Time Lady?" Amy asked. "Doctor, you said…"  
>"Oh, he thought I was dead. Easy mistake to make. Like that idiot over there," she said gesturing to the unconscious man. "I was pushed out of this dimension. He," she nodded in the Doctor's direction, "was the lucky one. He got away with a regeneration." She grinned at the Doctor. He stared back vacantly. "…Doctor?"<br>"Who are you?" he asked, a dangerous tone in his voice.  
>"Wh- what do you mean? Doctor, it's me! Ava! Remember? I'm your best friend. You know, the moody, fun-loving companion who has a flair for music and trouble? Stop messing around!"<br>"I'm not messing around. You're lying. There are no Time Lord's left. And even if there were, there was never one called 'Ava'. Now tell me who you are!"  
>"Doctor! It is <span>me!<span> I am a Time Lord! I'm the reason we came to Earth, remember? It was my idea!"  
>"No. It wasn't. Su-"<br>"It was Susan's idea to go to the school! I always wanted to go to Earth. I loved their music, remember? It took so long to convince you. Then Susan and I started going to school," she gave a laugh. "And Ian and Barbara, they followed her home, and _pushed _their way into the Tardis. I can still remember the look on your face. You were furious! And then you kidnapped them! And then there were the Cavemen, and the Daleks. Then they went home, after a while." She looked sad. "They're professors now. And they're married. "Then she perked up. "We should go visit their wedding. I'd love to see their faces."  
>"Stop it," the Doctor commanded. "I don't believe you. You could be a mind reader. Or maybe you interrogated them. I don't know yet. But trust me," he said, walking up to her and leaned close to her. Her breath quickened. "I am going to find out." Then he pulled away abruptly. "Okay everyone, into the Tardis. You too," he said, glancing at Ava. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, right now." She nodded.<br>He led the way back to the Tardis, parked in one of the room a few corridors away. He walked sternly, almost angrily. Amy and Rory caught up with him. Ava walked a few meters behind them.  
>"Doctor," Amy whispered. "Do you think she's telling the truth?"<br>"No chance," he replied. "They were all wiped out. _All _of them."  
>"But why pretend to be a Time Lord?" Rory asked.<br>"Maybe she wants the Tardis. Or intel on the future. I don't know yet. She may be a spy, but if she is she's a very bad one…or a very clever one."  
>"Clever?" Amy asked.<br>"Having a story so unbelievable that we have to believe that she's telling the truth, because no spy would ever be stupid enough to have such an unbelievable story."  
>"Oh. But…what if she <em>is <em>telling the truth?"  
>"She's not."<br>Ava listened to their conversation with a heavy heart.  
>"So you really don't believe me?" She asked sadly. They stopped and looked at her.<br>"No, I don't." he said and walked off.  
>"Wait…How did you hear us?" Rory asked.<br>Ava grinned, and touched her ear. "Super hearing. One of the benefits of being a Time Lord."  
>"Can the Doctor do that too?"<br>"Of course he can't." Ava scoffed, walking to catch up with him. "He's a 'Regenerator'. I'm a healer. There's a difference."  
>"Really?" Amy asked curiously, slowing to walk with them.<br>"See, Time Lords are… powered by Artron Energy. See, this energy can be used in two ways. Its decided by your DNA. In one case, such as the Doctor's, the energy builds up, so in cases of near death, it causes complete renewal of the cells. But with 'Healers' as we are sometimes called, the energy is constantly in play. See," she stopped walking, and pulled out the dagger. She ran it across her left palm, drawing blood. Then she watched Rory and Amy stared in disbelief as the wound healed itself in mere seconds. She grinned, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.  
>"So what," Amy asked, continuing to walk. "You're practically immortal?"<br>"With small wounds like this, yeah pretty much. But with big wounds like… gunshot wounds and stab wounds, and in one case falling off a building, it takes longer. The more wounds, the more energy. And it takes time. If I got an infection, I could die. Or if the wounds are too big to heal. Its…complicated." They turned into the room. The Doctor was waiting near the door.  
>"Done?" he asked, then, without waiting for an answer, took off his key and walked to the Tardis door. However, before he could reach it, the air shimmered in front of him, signalling a new arrival. The Doctor took a step back. The image solidified. River Song took a step forward.<br>"Hello Sweetie." She said.


	3. River's Entrance

There was a stunned pause. No one had expected that.  
>"Well? Aren't you going to welcome me?" River asked. "Doctor, Amy, Rory… Ava."<br>Ava smiled back. "Hello River. Nice to finally speak to you. And be seen by you. Actually it is wonderful to be seen. So tell me, did the Doctor send you?"  
>"He did. You did too. Oh," she paused and handed her a piece of paper. "Co-ordinates. So that I can get here. And also, don't let him get the monkey. That's your cue."<br>Ava nodded.  
>"Wait. Sorry, sorry." Rory said, flinging up his hands. "You know her?"<br>"Course I do. She's the Doctor's best friend."  
>"Oh, not you too." The Doctor complained.<br>"She said you'd say that. She wants me to point out that you wouldn't have sent me here if, in the future, you didn't absolutely trust her."  
>Ava laughed. "I'm a genius! And here I was, afraid I was going to prove myself, through a DNA test or something."<br>The Doctor leaned forward, staring into River's eyes.  
>"Are you sure? She could of-"<br>"This is the part where I tell you that she didn't fake my memories, or torture me, bribe me or persuade me."  
>The Doctor glared at her. "How would you know?"<br>"Because I do."  
>"Well I still don't trust her."<br>"Oh, sweetie, I know that. But I have to be here. You two told me I had to. So…Here I am."  
>The Doctor frowned. "Fine then." He strode around her, unlocked the Tardis, and walked in. Amy and Rory swapped looks, but followed suit.<br>Ava looked at River. "So…this doesn't wear off then? I'm here to stay?" She kept calm, making sure not to let the hope seep into her voice. River gave her a smile.  
>"Nothing's certain." She said. Ava sighed, knowing that that meant both everything and nothing to her. But at least she was here now, even if it was only for a little while.<br>"Well then," she said, giving River a mischievous grin, "Let's get this over with then."


	4. Paris, 2018

They entered the Tardis. The Doctor was looking at a screen. Ava grinned, looking around.  
>"Hello my love. Did you miss me?" At first they assumed she was talking to the Doctor, until the Tardis made a noise.<br>"Doctor, what was that?" Amy asked alarmed.  
>The Doctor paused. "I think that was the Tardis."<br>Ava grinned running up to the console, twirling around. "She missed me!"  
>The Doctor frowned to himself. The Tardis shouldn't have done that. There was no way she could have faked that. It was definitely the Tardis that made the noise. There was no rigging that. He looked at the woman, who was currently stroking the console, much as the Doctor himself had done various times in the past.<br>Ava grinned and walked around the console, letting her hand jump lightly from each lever, switch and button. After she had done a 360, she looked at the Doctor. "So where are we going?"  
>"Nowhere…yet." He looked back at the screen, which had started a DNA test. She walked behind him. She chuckled at him.<br>"So much for proof. Ah well, I'd probably do the same thing." Then she paused, thinking. "I… Hey! I'm back. I can finally change out of these clothes. And have a shower! If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room!" With that she turned and ran off.  
>"Wait…What?" the Doctor asked. He turned to his companions. "You three, watch the screen. Tell me the instance it finishes." Then he followed the girl. He found her in a room only a few away from his own. He blinked as he looked around. He had never been in that room before, yet it was equipped with a bed and was full of souvenirs. Ava lay sprawled on the bed. She moaned slightly.<br>"It has been so long," she said without opening her eyes, "since I have slept. Or eaten. Or taken a shower."  
>The Doctor walked over to her, and sat next to her. She reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up.<br>"How are you doing this?" he asked.  
>"Why don't you tell me?" she replied.<br>He considered. "You might come from a species even more advanced than the Time Lords. But if so…"  
>"Why would I be here?" Ava finished. "If I was this supposed Super Race with the power to control the Tardis, why would I come here? If I wanted the Tardis, I could've taken it. If I wanted you dead, I could've shot you. And then there's River."<br>The Doctor nodded. "She believes you."  
>"Mmm." She lay back. "Quite the conundrum. Tell me if you figure it out." Then she groaned. "Right. I'm going to have a shower… If that's okay with you. Unless you'd prefer to wait for the results to come back. In that case, we should probably head back."<br>The Doctor thought about it. He was reluctant to let her out of his sight, especially if she was a spy. He looked around as he thought. A picture on the bedside table caught his eye. He picked it up.  
>"What's this?" he asked.<br>She sat up, and looked at it over his shoulder. "It's us. Paris. Outside the Louvre. 2018, I think. We had dinner remember? It was just after Leela, but before Romana. It was very fun. We got sketches done as well. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower. Poor K9 had to wait for us." She smiled fondly.  
>The Doctor stared at the picture. It was him. He would recognise that coat and scarf anywhere. He had his arms around Ava. They were both grinning at some unknown joke. In this photo Ava was wearing a red dress with black leggings. Her hair fell around her shoulders in waves. The Doctor ran his fingers over the picture. <em>Could it be true? <em>He wondered. If she was…what could it mean? He wasn't alone? That he wasn't the last of his species? How would that affect him? Would he be happier?  
>Ava watched him. She could almost <em>see <em>his thoughts. He was starting to believe her. She smiled. _Oh how I've missed you Doctor. _  
>She stayed silent. Waiting. Hoping.<br>There was a knock at the door. They jumped startled.  
>"Umm, yeah." Rory said. "River says the test is almost done. She said I should get you." He looked slightly embarrassed to have interrupted them. Ava gave him a charming smile.<br>"Finally!" she rolled off the bed. "Proof!"


	5. The Results

They entered the console room. River and Amy were staring at the screen.  
>"So, what's the news? Free to go? Or should I arrange for a last supper?"<br>"Neither." River said.  
>"It hasn't finished yet." Amy explained.<br>Ava sighed. "Of course not. I should have expected the Doctor to make this more complicated." She ran up to the girls. "Just as I thought. Not only a DNA test, but also a brain scan." She sighed. "So then. We're all just going to stand here and wait?"  
>"Yes." The Doctor said, but his voice had lost his harshness and regained some of its jovality. "That is <em>exactly <em>what we're going to do. Right, Pond…-s?"  
>"Yes sir," Amy said with a fun and flirty edge to her voice.<br>"Of course, sweetie." River teased.  
>There was a pause. They looked at Rory.<br>"Your turn." Ava said.  
>"Oh, um. Yes?"<br>Ava grinned. "So basically we've just got to wait."  
>"Yep," Amy confirmed.<br>"Any second now," River said seriously.  
>There was another silence. The only audible sounds were the Tardis' humming and the screen's gentle pinging. They stood around for a few minutes, before Amy and Ava started laughing. Soon River and the Doctor joined in too. Rory sort of just stood there. They laughed loudly, their laughter echoing around the console room. And then the test beeped, letting them know it was in its final stages. They all quietened down immediately, looking anxiously towards the screen. Even Ava cast it a desperate look. It took a few more seconds, but finally it read out:<p>

ANALYSIS: SUBJECT IS TIME LORD


	6. The Plan

ANALYSIS: SUBJECT IS TIME LORD

There was another pause. Everyone except Ava stared at the screen in disbelief. Ava waited for a few seconds to let it sink in, before jumping in the air. She landed and twirled, giving the Doctor a kiss on the cheek.  
>"I am wictorious!" she declared.<br>"Wic…torious?" River asked. Everybody else was still staring at the screen.  
>"You know, from Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged…that is out around your time right? I could've sworn it was from the 21st Century…It doesn't matter," she said shaking her head. "I'm Time Lord! I proved it. I was a bit worried there. Who knows what being taken in and out of dimensions does to ones DNA? Haha!" She gave another twirl. "I can get my life back. Starting with…. Doughnuts!"<br>"Doughnuts?" Rory asked dubiously.  
>"It has been over two centuries since I've eaten <em>anything. <em>I want a doughnut. A Krispe Kreme original glazed doughnut. You can get them in Australia. They are _wonderful. _We have to go there. But first, I'm going to take a shower, then take a nap. Then we can go to Australia." She paused. "Yep that sounds like a plan." Then she turned and retreated back to her room.  
>There was a silence.<br>"…So… Doctor." Amy said. The Doctor looked at her distractedly. "She's…um…one of you." He nodded. His face had lost its colour.  
>He tried to rationalize it. Was he dreaming? No. He remembered every point leading up to the moment, and he had placed new security measures following that unfortunate adventure with the 'Dream Lord'. And he would know if it was simply a dream. Unless he was in an Artificial World… No. His mind and the Tardis would have let him know. So this was real. Was the Tardis wrong? No, she had never been wrong, not in the 900 years he had known her. Not to mention River…<br>So it was true then. He wasn't the last of his species. Should he be relieved? Happy? Angry? Scared? Frustrated? Cruel? Sad? Rude? Ginger? Well, not the last one (unfortunately). But he had nothing. No answers. For the first time in his life the Doctor was truly speechless.  
>"Doctor, are you okay?" Amy asked concerned.<br>"Oh, he's fine." River said energetically. "Just give him a few minutes. Ava told me he'd be like this. She said if he doesn't recover in three minutes to steal his bowtie."  
>"Hey," the Doctor said. "Bowties are cool."<br>"He's back," Amy said mockingly.  
>"Of course I'm back. Did I go somewhere?" Amy and River laughed. "No, seriously, it's happened to me before. Bit annoying actually. Not good for the Time Lord image." He straightened his bowtie. "So, where were we?"<br>"Doctor, that girl is a Time Lord." Amy clarified.  
>"Ah yes. Time Lord." The Doctor said loudly. "Well, I didn't expect that. Did you?"<br>Amy shook her head. "Nope."  
>River grinned. "I did!"<br>'Oh yes, but you already knew. That's cheating." The Doctor said, acting cheerful because he didn't know how else to cope. When your world is falling apart, smile. It's cool.  
>And for one of the first times in his lives, he had no idea how to proceed. So he just smiled.<p> 


	7. Musing

Ava fell onto her bed.  
><em>Home. <em>The word rang through her mind. _Home. Home. I'm home. _  
>She had spent centuries waiting for this. Ever since the Time War. That last night… she forced her mind away from such thoughts. It was over now. Brooding would do nothing to change what had happened. She pulled herself onto the pillows and closed her eyes. Unfortunately, sleep evaded her. She sighed and sat up. She didn't want to get up – The Doctor was still dealing with his feelings. For a male Time Lord, he had an awful lot of them. She smiled to herself, remembering the times he pretended he had none –Ian and Barbara. But he grew up in the end. His second incarnation was a lot sillier. Than the Third – oh, she loved to tease him. He acted so sensible…except for the car. Then came the Fourth. He was wonderful! Sillier than the rest, absent minded and scatterbrained. But funny and wonderful. The next one was less amusing, but still amazing. Then again, there was that cricket obsession. She never understood that. The cricket. What point was there hitting a ball with a bat? Then again, the fact that her eyesight and hearing was far better than the average human made the game impossibly easy for her. She realised she had strayed from the topic. The Sixth one. He was brilliant. And entertaining. With his rainbow coat and the cat brooch. And his pride. Of all the Doctor's she had known, she knew he was the most egotistical. Peri would have agreed, she knew. Then came the Seventh. He liked mystery and adventure. So had the others, she supposed, but he lived for it. Even the clothes he wore. A question mark on his cane? He was just asking to be strangled. She had asked him once why he was making himself an enigma to everyone. He just shook his head at her, smiling. Then was the Eighth. The first Doctor to fall for a human. She sighed in remembrance. Grace had been a surgeon. Ava had been split off from the Doctor. In that time he had managed to get himself killed. Of course, it wasn't Grace's fault. She hadn't known what she was dealing with. If she had known she was dealing with a centuries old alien, she probably wouldn't have opted for surgery. And then there was…<em>it. <em>The end of all things. Ava had fought side by side with the Doctor. The Doctor-Guardian. The Oncoming Storm and The Mocking Spirit. In the end, no one won. Ava held her mother as she died. They had both taken losses. In the end, both sides were completely insane. It had been the Doctor's idea to encase them in the bubble. Ava had gone along with it. Part of her wished to continue fighting, but the Time Lords weren't fighting anymore. They were going to destroy everything. She gave another sigh. So they stopped it. But at a price. The Doctor was forced into a regeneration. And she, she was pulled into hell. Stuck in a world where she couldn't eat or sleep or even touch. Forced to watch as her best friend lost all hope and gave into the darkness. And there was nothing she could do as he became more and more desolate. Every day he became lonelier. And then there was Rose. In a way, Ava hated her. She had caused the Doctor so much pain. If it wasn't for Rose… But it wasn't her fault. The Doctor became obsessed. He was lonely. Of course he was. He had lost his world, his family and his best friend. That would drive anyone to the brink. Rose was his cure. But he became too attached. He forgot the rules. They _always _leave in the end. Even she had, though it was not her fault in any way. But she was back now. And she would heal him.


End file.
